Decaf coffee contains similar health benefits when compared to caffeinated coffee, though the research on decaf coffee specifically is limited. In addition, decaf coffee isn’t completely caffeine-free.
Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Many people enjoy drinking coffee, but they want to limit their caffeine intake for personal preferences or health reasons. For these people, decaf coffee is an excellent alternative.
Decaf coffee is just like regular coffee, except most of the caffeine has been removed.
This article takes a detailed look at decaf coffee and its good and bad health effects.
What is decaf coffee, and how is it made?
“Decaf” is short for decaffeinated coffee. It’s coffee from coffee beans that have had more than 97% of their caffeine removed.
There are many ways to remove caffeine from coffee beans. Most of them include water, organic solvents, or carbon dioxide.
Coffee beans are washed in the solvent until the caffeine is extracted, and then the solvent is removed.
Caffeine can also be removed using carbon dioxide or a charcoal filter — a method known as the Swiss water process.
The beans are decaffeinated before they’re roasted and ground. Apart from the caffeine content, the nutritional value of decaf coffee should be almost identical to that of regular coffee.
However, depending on the method used, the taste and smell may become slightly milder, and the color may change.
This can make decaf coffee more pleasing to those who are sensitive to the bitter taste and smell of regular coffee.
Is decaf coffee really caffeine-free?
Decaf coffee is not completely caffeine-free. It actually contains varying amounts of caffeine, usually about 2 milligrams (mg) per cup, but may be as high as 15 mg per 8-ounce (oz) cup.
Even so, while decaf is not completely caffeine-free, the amount of caffeine is usually very small.
Is decaffeinated coffee good for you?
Despite having been demonized in the past, the truth is that coffee is mostly good for you.
It’s linked with numerous health benefits, which are mainly attributed to its antioxidant content and other active substances.
Decaf coffee is the single biggest source of antioxidants in the Western diet, and this includes decaf coffee.
The main antioxidants in regular and decaf coffee are hydrocinnamic acids and polyphenols. Antioxidants are very effective at neutralizing reactive compounds called free radicals.
This reduces oxidative damage and may help prevent diseases like heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
However, the specific health effects of decaf coffee can be hard to determine. Most studies assess coffee intake without distinguishing between regular and decaf coffee, and some don’t even include decaf coffee.
Also, most of these studies are observational. They cannot prove that coffee caused the benefits, only that drinking coffee is associated with them.
That said, coffee — including decaf — is likely not the devil it’s been made out to be. Here are some of its potential benefits.
Diabetes
Drinking coffee, both regular and decaf, has been associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Depending on the results of different research studies, each daily cup may reduce the risk by between 6% and 11%.
That said, other factors, such as diet and exercise, that may influence this risk may not be possible to rule out.
Learn more about coffee’s effect on diabetes.
Mortality
Drinking coffee has also been linked with a reduction in the risk of premature death, as well as death from heart disease and cancer.
These findings have been replicated in other research looking specifically at decaf vs caffeinated coffee.
Neurological function
Research suggests drinking coffee may be associated with an improvement in cognitive function.
That said, research that compared this effect in adults over the age of 60 in terms of regular coffee versus decaf didn’t find a similar link with decaf coffee. More research is needed on decaf coffee and brain function specifically.
Heart health
A 2023 review of studies concluded that drinking moderate amounts of coffee may help decrease the risk of heart-related issues like hypertension and heart failure, though the available research findings are mixed.
That said, another 2022 study compared the effects of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee on heart health by measuring blood pressure and heart rate and found no significant difference in heart rate or blood pressure between the two groups, indicating similar effects on heart function.
This suggests that if coffee benefits heart health, there may not be a difference in consuming caffeinated vs decaf coffee. However, more research is needed to understand the general effect of coffee on heart health.
Weight
A 2019 review of 12 studies explored the relationship between coffee and obesity, finding that coffee consumption may lead to a small reduction of body fat, especially among males. This may be due to the effect of caffeine on fat and metabolism.
That said, a 2021 review included eight studies that investigated the effects of different types of coffee on waist circumference.
Green coffee extract had the largest impact, with a reduction of 1.3% to 3.0%, but both caffeinated and decaf coffee also showed a reduction of 0.3% to 1.6%).
However, one study found that decaf coffee actually increased waist circumference for some participants. For this reason, more studies are needed to verify the effect of decaf coffee specifically.
Mental health
According to a 2023 study conducted with data from the U.K. Biobank, coffee may help reduce the risk of depression and anxiety. The results showed that two to three cups per day of ground coffee, milk coffee, or unsweetened coffee had the lowest risk.
Another 2022 animal study found that both regular and decaffeinated coffee may help improve depression symptoms caused by sleep deprivation, reduce inflammation, and balance gut bacteria. This suggests that coffee has potential benefits for mental health and regulating gut microbiota, with caffeine not being the only factor at play.
That said, although coffee does contain compounds like polyphenols that may help combat factors linked to depression, such as inflammation, lack of brain cell growth, and oxidative stress, few human studies have verified the link between these components and either the risk or the symptoms of depression.
Another 2018 study found, for instance, that the decaffeination process doesn’t significantly affect the positive effect of coffee consumption on the risk of depression. For these reasons, more research is needed on decaf coffee and mental health specifically.
Is decaf coffee healthier than regular coffee?
Generally speaking, coffee — including decaf — may have various health benefits. That said, individual tolerance for caffeine varies greatly. One cup of coffee can be excessive for some people, while others may feel fine with more.
Decaf coffee might be a better choice if you’re sensitive to caffeine. That said, if you’re still experiencing symptoms related to excess caffeine, such as restlessness, anxiety, digestive problems, heart arrhythmia, or trouble sleeping, you may prefer to switch to tea instead.
You may also want to limit caffeine if you have certain medical conditions or if you take prescription medications that can interact with caffeine. Similarly, pregnant and nursing people are advised to limit their caffeine intake. Individuals diagnosed with anxiety or who have trouble sleeping are advised to do so as well.
While individual tolerance may vary, healthy adults should avoid more than 400 mg of caffeine daily, roughly the equivalent of four cups of coffee.
Frequently asked questions
Will decaf coffee keep me awake?
Although decaf coffee contains far less caffeine than regular coffee, it may still keep you awake. A 2018 study found that decaf coffee increased alertness compared to a placebo.
Is decaf coffee bad for kids?
Coffee can help stimulate the digestive system. A 2022 study suggests that even decaffeinated coffee might be used as a gastric stimulant in pediatric patients.
That said, it’s not possible to conclude from this that it’s safe for children to consume coffee in general, including decaf coffee. Generally, coffee consumption isn’t recommended for children or adolescents.
The bottom line
Coffee is one of the healthiest beverages on the planet. It’s loaded with antioxidants and linked to reduced risk of all sorts of serious diseases.
However, not everyone can drink coffee. For some people, the caffeine can cause problems. For these individuals, decaf is an excellent way to enjoy coffee without the side effects of too much caffeine.
Decaf has most of the same health benefits as regular coffee but none of the side effects.
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